Apparatus for rolling footwear



Aug 3, 1937 H. R. PoLLEYs 2,088,921

APPARATUS FOR ROLLING FOOTWEAR Filed Aug. '7, 1936 4 Sheets-Sh'eet 1 IN VEN TOR.

ATTO NEY Aug. 3, 1937.

H. R. PoLLl-:Ys 2,088,921 APPARATUS FOR ROLLING FOOTWEAR Filed Aug. 7, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 N IN VEN TOR.

Aug. 3, 1937.

H. R. POLL EYS APPARATUS FOR ROLLING FOOTWEAR 4 Sheets-sheet 3 INVENToR. E? 4, /yfff/ff J ATT RNEY I H. RPOLLEYs 2,088,921

APPARATUS FOR ROLLNG FOOTWEAR Aug. 3 1937.

Filed Aug. '7, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 VVUVUU IN VEN TOR.

Patented Aug. 3, 1937 Urrea STATES wenn ,PATENT oFricE APPARATUS Foa ROLLING Foo'rwEAn Application Augst 7, 1936, seriai No. 94,735

8 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved apparatus for rolling the sole or bottom portion of footwear and particularly to the combination of a conveyor and an adjustable rolling mechanism 5 for rolling the footwear whilecarried by the conveyor.

In the manufacture of rubber footwear articles, the sole or bottom portion is built up of a plurality of parts on a last carried by a conveyor l and the adhering parts are compacted together by one or more sets of rollers during their travel on the conveyor. In addition to the building up of the parts, certain other operations are performed on the footwear before and after the sole portions l are rolled. The amount of working space required to perform these operations before and after the footwear article reaches the rolls varies with different types of footwear.

Heretofore the pressing rolls have been permanently fixed at a point on the path of the conveyor which was suitable for a given type of footwear. In cases where a different location of the rolls was required to provide the necessary work- Ving spaces for other types it was necessary to spend time and money in altering the apparatus or make the conveyor sufficiently long to take 4care of ally types of footwear.

In the present invention the rolling mechanism is movably mounted upona track extending substantially parallel with the direction of movement of the conveyor and the mechanism is adapted to be secured to the track at different points along the path of the conveyor in order to provide the necessary space required for performing the various operations either before or after the footwear article has been rolled, and thereby make it possible to employ a shorter conveyor or utilize the working space along the conveyor more efficiently for the manufacture of various types of footwear. The rollers are adapted to be moved towards and away from the conveyor -in order that footwear of different heights may be operated upon and a stop mechanism is provided for protecting the apparatus against damage in the event the rollers are placed too near the traveling conveyor.

The foregoing objects and other features and advantages of this invention will be more clearly 5 understood by referring to the following specification and the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l isa front end elevational View of an apparatus embodying this invention; Y l

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view taken from th 55 left in reference t@ Fig. V1` and showing the footwear article as having passed the rolling mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the apparatus showing the footwear article before arriving at the pressing rolls;

Fig. 4 illustrates the first pressing roll of the set operating upon the sole portion of the foot- Wear article; 5

Fig. 5 illustrates a pair of pressing rolls of the set operating upon the edges of the sole portion of the footwear article;

Figs. 6 and 'l are respectively sectional views of locking mechanisms for .the roller carriage and the base upon which it is mounted; and

Fig. 8 is a detailed View of mechanism for applying pressure to the edge pressing rolls shown in Fig. 5.

This invention is illustrated in reference to an apparatus for pressing the built up Vsole or lower portion of rubber footwear articles. Referring to the drawings the apparatus comprises a conveyor C for supporting the articles and a mechanism M for rolling portions of the articles while they are carried by the conveyor C. Referring to Fig. 1, one of a series of footwear articles in the form of a boot IIl is supported on the conveyor C` and its sole or lower portion is carried in rolling Contact with a set of rollers comprising a large roller I I and a pair of smaller edge pressing rollers I2 (Fig. 2) mountedon the rolling mechanism M, which is movably mounted on a track i3 extending along the path of travel of the conveyor C. The mechanism M may be fixed at different points along the track I3 to suitably position the rollers to provide the necessary space along the path to perform the desired operations upon the article before and after it has been operated upon by the rollers I I and I2.

The boot IIJ is lasted on a last I4 mounted on a last support I5 carried by the conveyor C. The axis of the boot leg extends upwards at an acute angle from the horizontal so that the action of gravity retains the last I4 on its support I5 and the bottom portion of the boot is presented in a lengthwise direction to the rolls II and I2 which are mounted on a carriage I6 supported on guide rods l'l secured to the base I8 of the mechanism M. The guide rods II extend substantially parallel to the axis of the leg of the boot I6 when being operated upon so that the carriage i6 may be moved thereon to or from the conveyor Cto adjustthe distance between the set of rolls II and I2 and the conveyor to provide for the use of lasts of different lengths and to maintain the rolls in alignment therewith at different positions of adjustment. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the boot is first contacted by the large roll II and then by the edge pressing rolls I2 and a safety stop mechanism I9 is provided to make contact with the boot IIl and stop the movementI of the conveyor and thereby prevent injury to the apparatus in the event the carriage I6 and the set of rolls I I and I2 carried thereby are positioned so close to the conveyor C that the boot may catch on such elements and damage them.

The base I8 is mounted upon rollers 28 cooperating with the top and bottom rails of the track I3 which is secured to a foundation 2I. The base I8 may be moved along the track on its rollers and secured to the track by a locking mechanism comprising a handle 22 fixed to a screw threaded rod 23 having oppositely threaded portions 23 (Fig. 7) cooperating with threaded bores in clamping blocks 24 adapted to be clamped by the rod 23 to the top rail of the track I3.

The carriage I6 is movable along guide rods I1 mounted in brackets 25 on the base I 8. The guide rods I1 are secured in the brackets 25 by nuts 26 cooperating with the threaded ends of the guide rods and the brackets. The carriage I6 is movable along the guide rods by a pinion 21 fixed on a shaft 28 rotatably mounted in the base I8. The pinion cooperates with a rack 29 formed on the lower portion of the carriage I6 and is operated by a hand wheel 30 secured to the shaft 28. The carriage I6 may be secured in any position along the guide rods I1 by means of a locking mechanism comprising a handle 3I (Fig. 6) keyed toa rod 32 having oppositely threaded end portions 33 cooperating with like threaded bores in clamping blocks 34 which move towards or away from one another by the movement of the handle. The blocks 34 are caused to grip one of the guide rods I1 or release the carriage I6 when the handle 3I is operated.

The set of pressing rolls II and I2 is vmounted on an upwardly extending post 35 of the carriage I6. The large roll II is rotatably mounted in the4 bifurcated end 36 of a bell crank lever 31 pivotedon a shaft 38 mounted at each end in brackets 39 extending laterally from the post 35. A pair of tension springs 40 are connected between a cross head 4I (Fig. 2) secured to one end of the bell crank lever 31 and a cross head 42 connected to a threaded rod 43 which extends through a bracket 44 on the upright post 35. The rod 43 is movable by a hand nut 45 threaded on the end of the rod 43 and cooperating with the bracket 44 for the purpose of adjusting the amount of pressure exerted by the roll II on the bottom portion of the boots I0. A lock nut 46 cooperates with the bracket 44 and the adjusting rod 43 for securing the latter in any position of adjustment. A rod 41 secured to a bracket 48 on the bell crank lever 31 is provided for limiting the movement of the roller II towards the path of movement of the boots I0. The rod 41 extends through a bore in the post 35 and a spring 49 positioned between lock nuts 50 on the rod 41 and the post 35 cushions the movement of the roller I I in opposition to the springs 40.

Referring to Figs. 2, 3, 5 and 8, the edge pressing rollers I2 are rotatably mounted in yokes 5I (Fig. 5) pivotally mounted on rods 52 adjustably secured in brackets 53 by locking nuts 54 cooperating with the threaded ends of the rods 52. The brackets 53 are clamped by screws 53 to pivot shafts 55 oscillatably mounted in brackets 56 extending laterally from the post 35 'and secured thereto by cap screws 51. The cap screws 51 also secure plates 58 to the post 35. Rods 59 pivotally connected at one end to the brackets 53 extend through bores in the plates 58 and are provided with compression springs 69 positioned between the plates 58 and locking nuts 6I on the threaded ends of the rods 59 for the purpose of cushioning the movement of the edge pressing rolls I2 when they leave contact with the boots I 0.

Torsion springs 62 (Fig. 8) encircling the shafts 55 and cooperating with the brackets 53 are provided for pressing the rolls I2 against the edges of the lower portion of the boots I 8. Each spring 62 is positioned between the arm of the brackets 56 and one end of each spring is fixed to one arm and the other end is fixed to a collar 64 secured to the shaft 55 by means of the set screw 65.

The boots II) travel by the rolling mechanism M in the direction indicated by the arrows A in Figs. 2 and 3 and the safety stop mechanism I9 mounted on an arm 66 extending upwardly from the bottom portion of the carriage I 6 is adapted to cooperate with the boots ID in the event the boots are too close to the mechanism M. The stop mechanism comprises a roller 61 rotatably mounted on an arm 68 pivoted on a pin 69 secured in a rocking arm 10 pivoted in a bracket 1I mounted on the arm 66. The rocking arm 10 is provided with a projection 12 having a set screw 13 adapted to cooperate with an electrical switch 14. A lock nut 15 is provided for adjusting the position of the set screw 13 in reference to the switch. The rocking arm 10 is provided with a second projection 16 having a spring 11 connected between it and the roller arm 68. A second spring 18 is connected between the projection 16 and the arm 66. In the event the carriage I6 is positioned too near the conveyor C the boots I0 will strike against the safety stop roller 61 and operate the arm 68 which through the action of the spring 11 operates the rocking arm 10 in opposition to the spring 18 and thereby operates the electrical switch 14 and stops the conveyor C by breaking the electrical connection of the current supply to the motor (not shown) which drives the conveyor.

The conveyor C is mounted upon rollers 19 adapted to travel on a track formed of top and bottom rails similar to the track I3 of the rolling mechanism M.

In the operation of the apparatus the several parts of the rubber footwear are built up on the lasts I4. As shown particularly in side elevation in Fig. 3 and in cross sectional elevation in Fig. 4 the parts to be rolled comprise an insole 8| over which the bottom portion of the upper 82 is turned, a binder sole 83 preferably made of rag and friction rubber stock, and a filler sole. As shown in Fig. 3 the boots IU pass with their sole portion presented longitudinally to the rollers II and I2. The large roller II is adapted to roll principally all of the flat portion of the soles and the edge rollers I2 are employed to contact and securely unite the edge portions of the plied up parts.

While the preferred form of the apparatus has been shown and described herein it will be understood that changes in the details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus for rolling the bottom portion of footwear articles comprising the combination of a conveyor for carrying such articles and of a mechanism for rolling such articles while traveling on said conveyor, said mechanism comprising a track extending in the direction of the movement of said conveyor, a base movably mounted on said track, means for securing said base to said track at fixed points, and rollers carried by said base for rolling the bottom portion of such articles.

2. An apparatus for rolling the bottom portion of footwear articles comprising the combination of a conveyor for carrying such articles and of a mechanism for rolling such articles while traveling on said conveyor, said mechanism comprising a track extending in the direction of the movement of said conveyor, a b-ase movably mounted on said track, means for securing said base to said track at fixed points, rollers mounted on said base for rolling the bottom portion of such articles while carried by said conveyor, and means for moving said rollers towards and away from said conveyor.

3. An apparatus for rolling the bottom portion of footwear articles comprising the combination of a conveyor for carrying such articles and of a mechanism for rolling such articles while traveling on said conveyor, said mechanism comprising a track extending in the direction of the movement of said conveyor, a base movably mounted on saidtrack, means for securing said base to said track at xed points, a carriage mounted on said base, rollers carried by said carriage for rolling the bottom portion of such article while carried by said conveyor, means for moving said carriage on said base in a direction transverse to the direction of the movement of said conveyor, and means for securing said carriage at different positions in its path of movement on said base.

4. An apparatus for rolling the bottom portion of footwear articles comprising the combination of a conveyor for carrying such articles and of a mechanism for rolling such articles while traveling on said conveyor, said mechanism compris- V ing a track extending in the direction of the movement of said conveyor, a base movably mounted on said track, means for securing said base to said track at xed points, rollers carried by said base for rolling the bottom portion of such articles, means for adjusting the pressure exerted by said rolls, and means for cushioning the return movement of said rolls after leaving the footwear article.

5. An apparatus for rolling the bottom portion of footwear articles comprising the combination of a conveyor for supporting such articles and of a mechanism for rolling such articles while traveling on said conveyor, said conveyor having last supports adapted to hold the axis of the leg portion of the last at an acute angle extending upwardly from the horizontal and toward said mechanism when opposite same and so that the length of the foot portion extends in the direction of the movement of the conveyor, said mechanism comprising a track extending in the direction of the movement of said conveyor, a base movably mounted on said track, means for securing said base to said track at fixed points, a

carriage movably mounted on a track positioned on said base and extending substantially parallel to the axis of the cooperating last leg, and rollers carried by said carriage for rolling the bottom portion of such footwear articles while carried by the last on said conveyor.

6. An apparatus for rolling the bottom portion of footwear articles comprising the combination ofa conveyor lfor supporting such articles and of a mechanism i'or rolling such articles while traveling on said conveyor, said conveyor having last supports adapted to hold the axis of the leg portion of the last at an acute angle extending upwardly from the horizontal and toward said mechanism when opposite same and so that the length of the foot portion extends in the direction of the movement of the conveyor, said mechanism comprising a track extending in the direction of the movement of said conveyor, a base movably mounted on said track, means for securing said base to said track at fixed points, a carriage movably mounted on a track positioned on said base and extending substantially parallel to the axis of the cooperating last leg, rollers carried by said carriage for rolling the bottom portion of such footwear articles while carried by the last on said conveyor, means for adjusting the pressure exerted by said rolls and means for cushioning the return movement of said rolls after leaving the footwear article.

'7. An apparatus for rolling the bottom portion of footwear articles comprising the combination of a conveyor having supports for lasts for supporting such articles and of a mechanism for rolling such articles while traveling on said conveyor, said mechanism comprising a base positioned adjacent to said conveyor, rollers mounted on said base for rolling such articles, said rollers being movable toward and away from said conveyor, a safety stop mechanism movable so that it will be engaged by such footwear article or last and thereby stop the movement of the conveyor in the event the lasts extend outwardly from the conveyor to such an extent that it cannot pass said pressure rolls without injury to the footwear articles or apparatus. Y

8. An apparatus for rolling the bottom portion of footwear articles comprising the combination of a conveyor having supports for lasts for supporting such articles and of a mechanism for rolling such articles while traveling on said conveyor, said mechanism comprising a track extending in. the direction of the movement of said conveyor, a base movably mounted on said track, means for securing said base to said track at ixed points, a carriage mounted on said base, rollers carried by said carriage for rolling the bottom portion of such articles while carried by said conveyor, means for moving said carriage towards and away from said conveyor, and a safety stop mechanism positioned on said carriage so that it will be engaged by such footwear articles or lasts and thereby stop the movement of the conveyor in the event the lasts extend outwardly from the conveyor to such an' extent that it cannot pass said rolls without injury to the footwear articles or apparatus.

HERBERT R. POLLEYS. 

